The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns sweep shot put titles at Olympic Trials
07.08.2016 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Family roots guide Carter, Crouser to success in event
EUGENE, Ore. – Texas Track & Field can claim something no other program can so far through the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. The Longhorns have swept the men's and women's titles in the same event to be tops in American shot put.
Ryan Crouser wowed the crowd in a return to his home state as he surpassed 22 meters for the first time in his career on the first day of the Olympic Trials. On Thursday night in the rain, alumna Michelle Carter claimed the women's shot put title with a new meet record.
"I texted Chris Plonsky that the Horns rule America in the shot put," said Texas Head Coach Mario Satenga.
Rule the shot put they did.
Carter overcame the best field the women's shot put has ever had an Olympic Trials to make Team USA as it marked the first time the top five finishers for the women all threw over 60 feet.
The women's competition also saw multiple lead changes throughout, including two in the fifth round that knocked Carter down to third place on the bubble to not make the team if Tia Brooks could surpass her in Round 6. After Brooks fouled her final attempt, Carter was securely on Team USA, but she wanted more.
Carter flung the shot out to a new meet record 19.59 meters (64-3.25). It marked her seventh outdoor USA title in the event and fourth consecutive. It also is her third Olympic team where she hopes to medal after finishing in fifth at the London Olympic Games in 2012. She also is fresh off her gold-medal performance and American record at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March.
For Crouser he was up against legends in the sport. People he grew up watching were standing next to him waiting for their turn in the ring. It was a surreal experience for him and one that he was happy to be a part of as there is a changing of the guard so to speak in men's shot put in America.
"There was really cool atmosphere out there between the older guys and the younger guys, a relatively seamless shift between Adam (Nelson) and Reese (Hoffa) and us younger guys," Crouser said after his win last week. "I told my dad this morning, I wanted to just make finals to say just one time in my life that I got to throw with Adam, because we were in different rings during qualifying."
Against his idols Crouser showed the future is bright for the sport with his toss of 22.11 meters (72-6.50), just one centimeter short of the Olympic Trials record held by Nelson. It also was two centimeters short of the current world lead, which is held by Crouser's Rio teammate Joe Kovacs at 22.13 meters.
All three of the men's shot putters headed to Rio are first-time Olympians with Penn State grads Kovacs and Darrell Hill joining Crouser. They currently rank 1-2-3 in the world this year.
Aside from overcoming the best America has to offer in a loaded field, both Carter and Crouser come from legendary family trees.
Crouser's family could be considered the royal family of throwing in the state of Oregon. His father was a thrower at the University of Idaho and both his uncles were All-Americans at the University of Oregon. His uncle Dean Crouser was a three-time NCAA champion, and uncle Brian Crouser won NCAA titles in the javelin twice and was an Olympian in 1988 and 1992.
Dean Crouser's son Sam won two NCAA titles in the javelin and is headed to Rio this summer as well to carry on the family legacy. And his daughter and current Longhorn Haley Crouser will throw in the final of the women's javelin on Saturday. Haley set an American high school record in the event as well.
Carter's father Michael Carter is one of the most decorated track and field athletes in SMU history. He also was a star football player with three Super Bowl rings to his credit with San Francisco.
But Michelle Carter grew up only knowing of her father's football success. She told reporters after her victory on Thursday that her father kept his seven NCAA titles, American high school record and Olympic silver medal in shot put from her as a way to ensure she chose her own path. When her seventh grade coach encouraged her to take up the shot put, that's when father Michael revealed his daughter had the event in her blood.
And since then she has had a storied career of her own and with her father acting as her coach during her professional years.
"He wanted to make sure this was something I chose on my own and nobody was trying to make me do it because of what he accomplished in the sport," she said. "He didn't pressure us to do anything. If we did something, it had to be us that chose it. He wanted us to choose it on our own because he didn't want us to do anything we didn't enjoy."
And being the American record holder both indoors and out, winning medals and representing her country are definitely things that Michelle Carter enjoys.
No matter how they became shot putters, whether as part of a legendary family tree, or unearthing a family secret in seventh grade, Crouser and Carter are the best America has to offer in their event, and they both are Lifetime Longhorns.
Players Mentioned
